Vertigo
by YJTuttle
Summary: Robin's gone and Batman is going down a dark road. But maybe there's a way to bring him back into the light. Meanwhile, the team is sent to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances. Third in "The Flying Grayson" series.
1. A League Decision

Some of you may have noticed that my story, Home Is Where the Hurt Is, is no longer posted. The reason for that is simply that I deleted it.

Please don't hurt me; just hear me out.

So, I was having this incredibly bad case of writer's block. Everytime I went back to write a new chapter for the story, I couldn't come up with a single thing. So I took a step back and looked at it from all angles and then I realized that the reason I was having so much trouble with it was because it wasn't the story I wanted to tell.

I'm a fan of plot. Real plot. It's something I expect from all the stories I read. And I especially expect it from all the stories I write and the plot for "Home" just wasn't gelling for me. And after some intense thought (and some unproductive navel gazing), I decided to scrap the story and start afresh.

This new story is already half-way finished. I waited on posting it because I had to make sure that this was, in fact, the story I wanted to tell. It's not finished but I couldn't wait any longer to post what is finished for the simple reason that I thrive on reviews and have a hard time staying motivated to write without them!

Rest assured, there will be a sequel in which Dick will come back. But when he does come back, there's going to be more to the story than what was there before.

Anywho, that's my speil. I hope y'all enjoy the new story!

* * *

Prologue

"What he needs is Robin," Superman stated. He and the rest of the Justice League, with one very important exception, were gathered around a large table in the Watchtower. They were all there to talk about their missing member.

"Well Robin's gone," Green Arrow said.

"And we have no right to tear him away from his new life, simply to rein Batman in," Diana said coolly.

"She's right," Green Lantern said. "Batman's a superhero. He was before Robin even came into the picture. And if he can't get his act together just because the kid split, then maybe we ought to consider-"

"Consider what?" Superman interrupted, frustrated at where this was headed. "Consider kicking him out of the League? Labelling him rogue?"

"You're all acting like he's a rabid dog on the loose. He hasn't done anything terrible yet," The Flash pointed out quietly.

"But he might," Black Canary said. "He will," she amended. "It's only a matter of time. He's… he's losing it. We can all see that!"

"Look, it's not easy to lose a sidekick," Green Arrow interjected. "Believe me, I know. He just needs some time to get over it."

"This is different," Martian Manhunter said. "Robin was more than just his sidekick."

"Yeah, he was like a son, I know," Oliver continued. "It's not like I didn't raise Roy either."

"You don't get it, GA," Superman said quietly. "Yes, Robin was like his son. But he was more than that. He was his moral compass. The thing that grounded him. The light in all the darkness." Superman shook his head. "I know Batman was a hero before Robin, but I don't think he can be one now without him. He needs that balance. That optimism."

"It doesn't sound like you have a lot of faith in him," Aquaman said. Superman just kept silent.

"Well it's not like we can just go to Sidekicks-R-Us and get him a new Robin, can we?" Green Lantern said.

"The problem is he's in denial," Black Canary said. "It's like he's expecting Robin to come back and every day that he doesn't just pushes him closer to the edge."

"He needs to accept that he is gone," Wonder Woman added.

"And just how do you expect him to do that?" Barry asked.

"Well, for one thing, he can stop parading the Martian girl around posing as Dick," Oliver said. "He's using her as a safety valve, so that if Robin does come back, there's no need for an awkward explanation as to where he's been."

"That's a problem in and of itself. Dick Grayson is too high-profile to simply disappear," Barry said.

"That might be difficult for Bruce Wayne to explain away," Green Arrow agreed.

"So we come up with a plausible explanation. A car accident or something," Green Lantern suggested

"Don't be so cavalier about it," Barry warned, balling a fist, ready to speed across the table to punch the other hero.

Green Lantern had the grace to look sheepish. "Yeah, sorry. But the thing is we can't let Bats keep this delusion. The world already thinks Robin is dead. Maybe it's time for Dick Grayson to join him."

"Callous though it may sound, I believe that could be an appropriate solution," Diana said. "Then perhaps Batman can move on."

"I don't like it," Superman stated.

"Then what are we supposed to do? We can't let him keep going down this path," Diana argued.

Superman sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know, I know. But… he… Batman needs Robin," he finished quietly.

"That's not a possibility," Martian Manhunter said ruefully. "Green Lantern's suggestion may be a painful solution, but I feel it is the best."

"I agree."

"Me too."

Most of the others sounded their agreement. Superman sighed in defeat and finally nodded. "Okay."

"Yeah, okay, but I don't think Batman is going to react too well at the idea of 'killing off' his son," Barry said. "Who exactly are you going to get to pitch this idea?"

The heroes all shared a glance, each wary or downright terrified of the idea of being the one to present the idea to Batman. "Supes?"

"I don't like the idea," was all he replied.

"We'll settle this the old-fashioned way," Green Lantern said. He held out his fist and suddenly a bunch of glowing green straws appeared in his grasp. "Short one loses."


	2. Run of the Mill

Again, actions scenes are not my strong suit. Bear with me.

* * *

Earth-16

Metropolis

21:13

_Is everyone in position?_

_All good to go here._

_Us too._

_When is this shindig supposed to start?_

_And why are **we **here? This is Superman's city._

Kaldur sighed. Every time they even got near Metropolis, Superboy became uptight. Or, more uptight than usual. _We are here because The Batman has given us an assignment._

Kaldur could feel Superboy's frustration coming in over the mental link. _Yeah, okay, fine, _the clone mentally huffed.

_Back to **my **question, _Wally said indignantly, _do we have any idea when this thing is supposed to go down? I'm getting antsy just waiting around._

_And probably hungry too, no doubt, _Artemis said wryly.

_Yeah, and that._

_Patience. We should not have to wait-_ The sound of a propeller cutting through the water made Kaldur pause. Above from where he was suspended in the waters of Hobs Bay, he could make out the bottom of a speedboat. _There is a boat approaching the docks._

_I've got eyes on it, _Artemis confirmed. _Definitely doesn't look like they're out for a pleasure cruise._

_Truck just pulled up through the gates, _Superboy added.

_For a supposed exchange of Kobra venom, there's not a lot of firepower, _Wally pointed out anxiously. _Something's up. Something we're not- AUGH!_

Kaldur's heart bucked in his chest. _Kid Flash? Kid Flash, what happened?!_

_I've got company up here!_

_Are you hurt?_

_Nothing that won't heal. But I'm going to need some backup._

_On my way, Kid Distressed, _Artemis said.

_I am not distressed! I just… you know what, just get over here!_

_Aqualad, there are more trucks arriving with armed men, _Miss Martian reported. _Should Superboy and I engage?_

_Go, _Kaldur ordered.

It was time for him to act too. Swimming towards the surface, Kaldur unsheathed his water bearers, pointing them towards the boat. The water around it began to swirl, creating a whirlpool that sucked the boat downwards. The men onboard let out cries of surprise but there was nowhere to go, unless the wanted to drown. Slapping his water bearers together, Kaldur created a jet of water that pushed through the whirlpool, sending the boat into the air, breaking it apart. The men were tossed off the damaged boat before smacking into the water with a loud splash. Sinking below the surface, the men struggled to swim in the angry currents Kaldur had created.

One by one, Kaldur plucked the men from the bay and tossed them onto the docks. They landed in a soaking wet heap. Kaldur jumped from the water, landing beside them on the dock. "Do not move," Kaldur ordered in his best Batman voice. One of the men who, though shaken, was not intimidated, pulled out a gun. With a snap, Kaldur's water bearer created a whip that knocked the gun out of his hand, sending it into the ocean. The man growled and quickly got up before lunging at Kaldur. Kaldur side-stepped the ill-executed attack and snapped his whip around the man's foot. With a tug, he swung the stream of water around, sending the man flying back into the others in the group, who were also starting to rise to their feet.

"Come on, boys," one grumbled. "We can take the fish. It's all of us against him."

Kaldur narrowed his eyes and directed his water beams to the water on either side of the dock. Two great walls of water rose up. "Wrong. It is you against me and the ocean. And it is a battle I am afraid you will lose." And with that, Kaldur let the walls of water crash down onto the men. The dock splintered and broke under the force of the water and collapsed into the bay, bringing the men along with it.

Kaldur hoisted himself onto what was left of the dock and waited. A few moments later, the men broke through the surface, gasping for air. Kaldur let them catch their breath but as soon as they started to swim towards him, he created another whirlpool around them. The men swirled around and around until they were crying out for his to stop. Reversing the water, Kaldur created a cyclone that rose up from the surface. It arced to the side before crashing down on the cement running parallel to the water. A dome of water lingered over the men before it suddenly collapsed and ran back into the ocean.

Stepping in front of the group, Kaldur lightly turned one of the men over onto his side with his foot. The man blinked, confused, before letting out a little gasp. Kaldur leveled his water bearer at him. "Like I said, you lose."

The man nodded before his eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp. Kneeling down, Kaldur pressed his fingers against his neck and let out a sigh of relief. The man had only fainted. The others in the group were in much the same shape. One of those that were still conscious threw up before muttering something about rollercoasters.

Kaldur looked away from the group and scanned the building ahead of him. Up on the rooftops, he could see Artemis and Kid Flash fighting with a few men. Through the alley between two buildings, he saw M'gann and Superboy putting down the last of a group of armed men.

Suddenly, there was a loud cry of surprise. Kaldur looked up to see a man falling from the roof. Wally was on the edge, reaching out as if he had tried to grab him before he fell.

_Kaldur!_ Wally cried.

Quickly, Kaldur pulled a stream of water out of the ocean, sending it towards the criminal. The water engulfed him, swirling around him before gently lowering him to the ground. As soon as the water dissipated, Kaldur ran up to him. The man was already on his feet and launched into an assault of punches and kicks. Kaldur managed to block most of them, but a kick to the stomach sent him flying backwards. Kaldur landed on his feet and skidded backwards before coming to a stop. The shadow was already closing the distance and Kaldur readied his water bearers, currents of electricity dancing around them.

The man, however, didn't get more than five feet away from him when suddenly, an arrow landed in front of him. A green gooey substance burst out from the arrow tip and latched onto his feet. It grew and expanded until he was completely encased. A moment later, Wally zipped into view, Artemis in his arms. The speedster set Artemis down and put his hands on his hips.

"Score one for teamwork!" Wally crowed. "The rest of those guys are tied up on the roof"

"You okay, Kaldur?" Artemis asked.

"I am fine," Kaldur assured her. _Superboy, Miss Martian, do you require assistance?_

"Nope," Superboy said verbally, already coming into view. The clone wiped his hands together, looking mighty pleased with himself. "We've got them all tied up."

"And the police are on their way," M'gann added as she floated up to the group. "All the trucks are full of cargo."

"Good work," Aqualad said. "Now we must find out where it was going. Help me restrain these men." Aqualad glanced strode up to the sopping wet group of men he had taken down. In a blur of red and yellow, Wally raced past him and a moment later, the men were all propped up, their hands tied up behind their backs.

"Ugh, please, no more water," one of the men begged.

"Yeah, okay, but only if you tell us where this shipment was headed to," Artemis said.

"I don't know nothing," the man insisted.

"Aqualad, I think he needs to take another swim," Artemis said flippantly, waving to Kaldur's water bearer.

The man shook his head vigorously. "No! Don't! I'll drown! I know I'll drown! I swear it! You ain't supposed to let people drown!"

"Aw, you're right, we wouldn't let you drown. We'd give you a lifejacket or something," Artemis said flippantly. Then she kneeled down to his level so she could look squarely into his eyes. "But you'll still be in the water and you see, Aqualad here can talk to the fish and I'm sure they'd love to nibble at your toes until you were ready to tell us what you know."

The man's eyes widened in horror at the threat. "I swear! I don't know where it's going! We was just supposed to meet with a ship and load all the cargo onto it. But it probably knows this all went south and is long gone by now. I don't know where it was headed."

"Then where did your cargo come from?" Aqualad asked.

"I don't know that either."

"You're look like you're an intelligent guy," Wally tried. "So you must have heard rumors about who's trafficking Kobra venom in Metropolis."

"I swear I-" the man cut himself off, looking confused. "Kobra venom? What the hell is kobra venom?"

"Kobra venom. You know, the stuff you were supposed to be loading," Artemis said. The man just looked confused.

"Kid, go check the cargo," Kaldur ordered. It was, he supposed, possible that the men didn't know what they were unloading. They were only grunt workers, after all. Obviously this man did not have the answers he was looking for. "Who is running the operation here, tonight, at the docks. Someone here must have some answers."

The man just shrugged. "I don't know nothing."

Kid suddenly came back and tossed a bag down at Kaldur's feet. "Checked every crate," he reported. "It's all the same. Cocaine."

"No kobra venom?" M'gann asked.

"Nope. This was a run of the mill drug run," Wally said, sounding disappointed.

"Batman did say it was only a possibility," Superboy said with a scowl. "Looks like it wasn't a very strong one."

"So it would seem. But we should still find out who is-"

Kaldur was cut off by a terrifyingly loud crack that shook the ground. All the teen heroes whirled around to see a flash a yellow streak through the sky, where the criminals were tied up near the trucks. The light grew brighter and brighter, causing the heroes to shield their eyes before it suddenly disappeared. The teens exchanged confused looks. What was that?

"What in the world," Artemis marvelled, voicing Kaldur's unasked question.

"Come on!" M'gann cried as she rose into the air and started in that direction.

"Miss Martian!" Kaldur called. "Wait." They didn't know yet what that noise and light had been. Something dangerous could be waiting for them. But Miss Martian either didn't hear him or simply ignored him. Kid Flash too zipped in that direction. Superboy and Artemis shared a glance before taking off too. Kaldur let out a sigh and had no choice but to follow, his water bearers drawn, ready for anything.

When he caught up, he saw the rest of the team standing, staring dumbfounded at the scene. Kaldur couldn't quite believe his eyes either. The trucks, drugs, men and a large section of one of the warehouses were missing. Gone. Vanished.

"What the-" Wally began.

"Where did-"

"How did-"

Kaldur blinked and rubbed his eyes. This was wrong. What had happened? His mind rapidly ran through all the possibilities. Perhaps whoever was behind this had transported his men out using some sort of teleportation beam. But if that were the case what about the men near the docks that were still tied up? Or perhaps the men were not the target, but the millions of dollars' worth of drugs that had disappeared. But then why would the men and half of the building go with it? Or maybe-

"Dude, I am getting some freaky energy readings here," Wally said, interrupting Kaldur's musings which, admittedly, were getting him nowhere. Wally, his goggles on, knelt down where the criminals had been tied up before casting his gaze towards the building. "Like, really freaky energy readings."

"Can you analyze them?" Kaldur asked.

Wally shook his head. "Can't make heads or tails of them. But the League will… Robin would've," he added with a whisper.

Kaldur rested what he hoped was a comforting hand on Wally's shoulder. Robin had been gone for several months now and although they had all approved of his decision to stay in an alternate dimension, his loss was still keenly felt. Especially by Kid Flash. "Then we will take it to the League."

"Well, one thing's for certain," Artemis said lightly. "This isn't just a run of the mill drug run anymore."

* * *

It's almost midnight. More tomorrow.


	3. Debriefing

NEW CHAPTER. Aw yeah, Titans!

P.S. Young Justice issue 20... hilarious. Dick really is a dog. Heeeeeeee! But, hey, hold it, since when is his birthday December 1st? Tsk. Everyone knows he was born on the first day of spring.

* * *

As soon as they returned to the mountain, Batman and The Flash were waiting for their report. They all deferred to Aqualad, glad that they didn't have to try and explained the unexplainable. Wally was especially glad but he still stood at rigid attention, fearing that the Batman would somehow punish him if he relaxed.

In the months since Robin had left, the Batman had grown noticeably darker. Wally almost found himself wishing that he wouldn't come by anymore, even if that meant that they would no longer be given assignments. But apparently the covert team of sidekicks was still useful to the Dark Knight, although that did not keep him from belittling them and their skills and otherwise acting nasty. Several times over the past few months, he had trained them past the point of exhaustion and had chewed them out when they had asked for a break.

At first, Wally had resented the harsh treatment. But then it occurred to him that, perhaps, Batman resented them and blamed them for Robin leaving. And Wally found that he could not deny that accusation. After all, he had told Robin to stay. He had been happy for him, even. And even if he had known about the harsh treatment they would receive after Robin left, he still would have encouraged him to stay. With that in mind, it helped ease Wally's resentment, though it did not fully erase it.

It also helped to think about how much Batman must have missed Robin. Heck, Robin was practically his son. His loss was certainly more painful than Wally's, which was acute. His best friend was gone. The one person who got him. Wally missed being able to vent his frustrations to him. Missed pulling off clever pranks. Missed their inside jokes. Heck, he even missed listening to Robin butcher the English language.

No one could take Robin's place. Though, oddly enough, Artemis was trying. Sure, she was still a pain in the keister, but ever since Robin left she had been almost nice. Understanding. Maybe even a little fun to be around. Hell, just the other day they had gone to see a movie together. Strange. Definitely strange. But not altogether unwelcome.

Okay, completely welcome.

"I don't see what the big deal is. Who cares if they fell of the face of the planet? They're just criminals," Wally heard Superboy saying. That got his attention and Wally stared at the clone dumbly. Seriously? It was, in fact, a very big deal. They were heroes. They were supposed to care when people randomly disappeared to unknown fates, criminal or not.

Wally eyed Batman, waiting for the Dark Knight to unleash a scathing reprimand. But the Batman didn't so much as bat an eye at the comment. There was just an awkward silence before The Flash cleared his throat. "That's not the point, Superboy. They may have been criminals, but it's still a hero's job to protect everyone. Right Batman?"

"It is," Batman said in a low voice.

Uncle Barry looked like he wanted to say something else, but hesitated as he glanced over the group of sidekicks.

"We also do not know why it happened," Kaldur pointed out. "If it was a transportation beam then we must worry about a criminal having that kind of technology. And if it was simply a random occurrence, then we need to find out why it happened and ensure it does not happen again."

"Kid, did you get a read on that energy signature?" The Flash asked.

Wally tossed him his goggles. "Yeah, sure. But I could only get a limited amount of information. Doesn't the Watchtower monitor that kind of stuff?"

Uncle Barry shook his head. "System is down for maintenance."

"Great. So there's no way of tracking where those guys ended up or what made them disappear," Artemis said.

"Not at the moment," Batman confirmed.

"But we'll analyze what Kid picked up with his goggles," Uncle Barry said.

"If it was a random occurrence," Kaldur said thoughtfully, "do you suppose it could be an inter-dimensional portal of some sort."

If he didn't have superspeed, Wally might not have seen Batman flinch ever so slightly. "It's possible," the Dark Knight conceded after a long pause. "Either way, the League will look into this. I'll let you know if we need you again. Until then, keep your opinions and speculation to yourselves. You're all dismissed."

There was no arguing with that. The team shared a glance before giving a collective shrug and turning to leave the room.

Wally waited by the door. "You coming, Uncle Barry?"

"Yeah. Just give me a minute, Kid. I'll catch up."

Wally looked between his uncle and Batman, who had suddenly gone very tense. "Uh, yeah. Right. I'll… see you at home." And with that, he left the two older heroes alone.

"Do you really think that it was some sort of inter-dimensional portal?" M'gann asked Kaldur as they made their way into the common room.

"I cannot be certain," Kaldur replied. "But it-" he cut himself off and shook his head.

"But what?" Artemis pressed.

"I was just thinking about when we were in the other dimension when Margali, the sorceress, disappeared. She did so in a flash of yellow light."

"Riiiight," Wally said slowly, also remembering the incident. "But that was just a flash. This thing filled the sky."

"And the noise it made," Superboy added. "It was deafening."

Wally winced in sympathy. He was right- it had been deafening, even to him. He could only imagine how the sound had affected Superboy's sensitive hearing.

"Which is why I cannot be certain," Kaldur replied. "But I still… I have a feeling that we have not seen the last of that woman."

Wally thought back to their fight with her. The woman had been deranged. And she had disappeared without a trace. Wally had no doubt that they would meet her again, sometime. But this thing was too big and too random to be connected with her. Why would she teleport away a bunch of random drug dealers?

"Well, I don't like the idea of a criminal having the capability to teleport his gang away into thin air," Artemis said. "Can you imagine the destruction they could cause? I mean it was like someone had sliced a piece of that warehouse off with a knife- nice and clean."

Kaldur nodded grimly. "It is worrisome."

"Well, like Batman said, the League will deal with it," Superboy said, his ire at being thrown off the case and dismissed bleeding through into his tone.

"Do you think that's what they're talking about it there?" Artemis asked, jerking her thumb back towards the room.

M'gann quickly shook her head. "No. There's too much emotion for that."

Wally arched an eyebrow. "What kind of emotion?"

"Oh, I, uh-" M'gann stammered.

Wally held up a hand. "Relax. I know you're meaning not prying." They all knew by now that M'gann couldn't help but pick up on their emotions. It was something Batman had tried to train out of her, but even the Dark Knight had grudgingly admitted defeated. But not before making M'gann burst into tears several times.

M'gann squirmed, pulling at her fingers anxiously. "Well, I don't know what they're saying, but they both seem pretty frustrated. And angry… and hurt."

"It's about Robin, then," Wally said flatly. He had to give Uncle Barry credit for being brave. Batman's reaction to anyone even mentioning Robin while he was around was severe- something the team had found out the hard way. But Uncle Barry was actually talking _to_ Batman about him.

"I don't think Batman will ever get over the fact that he's gone," M'gann whispered.

Wally frowned. He wasn't the only one.


	4. Winner of the Short Straw

Mes amis, I need some reviews, si vous plait!

Warning: the next two chapters contain Bat-angst. It echoes some Bat angst from "Home" so if you read that story, I apologize. But since that story no longer exists, neither does the Bat-angst it contained. Right?

Well, anyway, enjoy.

And review. You know how America runs on Dunkin' (according to the commercials)? Well authors run on reviews!

* * *

The Flash waited for the door to close before turning to Batman. "What the hell was that?!" Barry demanded, slamming his hand on the table.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Batman growled as he started for the door.

Oh no, not so fast. Batman knew exactly what he was talking about! Barry zipped in front of him, blocking his path. "I mean why the hell didn't you call Superboy out? His comment was way out of line!" In a bold move, Barry jammed his finger in Batman's chest. "You never would have let that comment slide before!"

"It's not my job to keep his morals in check," Batman snarled. "Go yell at Kent." And with that, Batman roughly shouldered Barry out of his way.

Again, Barry went in front of him. "Don't even try that with me," Barry replied firmly. "This isn't about Clark. This isn't about who is responsible for Superboy. This is about you standing by and not saying anything about, hell, I don't know, how we ought to save everyone, how we need to make sure everyone gets out alive or… or something! We're not supposed to just shrug off the fact that those men disappeared without a trace just because they're criminals."

"You were here. You said it. Now let me past." Batman's tone was deadly serious but Barry wasn't going to be intimidated. He might not seem like it, what with his flashy red costume and humorous quips, but he was tough, a hero, and he wasn't about to knuckle down and kowtow to Batman's wrath.

"I'm not moving. Not until you hear what I have to say," Barry stated.

Batman glowered, but took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. It reminded Barry of a petulant teenager. A petulant teenager with sharp batarangs and a glare that made grown men wet their pants.

Barry took a deep breath. If this was going to come out right, he needed to be as calm as possible. He had been planning to talk to Batman for a while now- actually, the whole League had, but he had been the one to draw the short straw. And this seemed like as good a time as any. In fact, it was probably his last chance. If he let it wait any longer, there was no telling how much further Batman would slip.

"Look, I've been meaning to talk to you about something. Actually, the League has. It's about Robin."

Batman stood a little straighter, radiating a vibe that warned Barry to back off now. But, of course, he wasn't going to.

"Look, it's been-"

"No."

"No?"

"No. We are not talking about it," Batman said. An unspoken threat hung in the air.

Barry narrowed his eyes. "No. We _are_ talking about it. Ever since Robin left you've been... You've been pretty dark, even for you. We- the whole League, that is- we've been worried about you."

"That's unnecessary," Batman growled, side-stepping Barry.

Again, Barry blocked his path. For such a fearsome man, Batman really liked to avoid confrontation. Well, emotional confrontation anyway. If Barry wasn't careful, Batman would turn this into something he was more comfortable with- physical confrontation. "It is necessary. You're important to us, you idiot. And we're not just going to stand by while you self-destruct."

Batman clenched a fist and intensified his glare. "I am not self-destructing," he ground out.

Barry frowned. There were plenty of instances he could cite where Batman had very nearly gone over the line- which he had always flirted with, even before Robin left. Lately he had grown more violent, more reckless and more flippant towards his and others' safety.

For someone like Batman- or any hero for that matter- to toe the line as carelessly as he had lately was a sure sign that he was in a downward spiral. Batman was tough, but in some ways, he was also very fragile. If he crossed that line it would destroy him; the guilt would literally kill him. "Look," Barry said with a sigh, "I get it. Robin was more than just your sidekick. But it's been five months. He made his choice and you just have to accept that. He's not coming back." Batman stood silently, his expression unreadable. Barry pressed on. "He's happy now."

At that Batman visibly flinched and Barry mentally smacked himself upside the head. Idiot. "I mean, not that he wasn't happy here," he quickly added, but the damage had already been done. A darkness fell over Batman, unlike anything Barry had ever seen before. He was definitely in dangerous territory now. And yet, Batman made no move to leave.

Barry hesitated but decided that this conversation couldn't get any worse and continued. "Batman, Robin wouldn't want to see you like this. He'd want you to move on."

"You talk about him like he's dead." The accusation came out with the bitterest tone.

"Well maybe that's not such a bad idea," Barry said, hating himself the moment the words hit the air.

Batman looked like someone had punched him in the gut. Then his face hardened. "What?" he seethed. The wrath Barry heard in that one little word sent a shiver up his spine. "What are you saying, Allen?"

Barry gathered his courage and pressed on. This was going to be the hardest part of the conversation. "Ever since he left, you've had Miss Martian appear as Dick all over the world. You're keeping up this pretense that he's still here so that the world won't suspect that he's gone. But the truth is _you're_ the one getting caught up in the illusion. You've created this scenario where you won't have to explain his return, as if you're waiting for it. But he's gone, Bruce. And you have to accept that. You have to move on." It was hard medicine, and Barry hated to be the one to give it to him, but Batman needed this. He couldn't spend the rest of his life hoping that somehow Robin would come back. His sanity couldn't take it. If something wasn't done soon, Batman would go over the edge and there would be no bringing him back.

If he had been expecting it, which, in all honesty, he probably should have, Barry could've dodged the fist that flew towards his face. Instead, it hit him square in the jaw, causing him to stumble backwards. An instant later, Batman grabbed the front of his uniform and slammed him against the wall. Batman held him there for a moment, jaw set, eyes narrowed as if he were trying to burn a hole through Barry's head. Then, suddenly, he loosened his grip and, like someone had cut the strings holding him up, he sagged ever so slightly. "He's my son, Allen," he whispered, sounding broken. Heartbroken. "And now he's gone. He… _abandoned_ me. How do I just get over that?"

The vulnerability and raw emotion conveyed with Batman's words stunned Barry. He really hadn't expected him to open up that much. And he was half-tempted to hug the Dark Knight but he knew that would only earn him a black eye. "I don't know, Bruce," he said gently. "I don't know how you get over it. No one's asking you to. I think there's a difference between getting over it and moving on. But I can tell you one thing: you won't be able to let him go if you keep using Miss Martian to keep up the appearance that Dick is still here." And now he had come to the crux of what the League had decided to say. "The world already thinks Robin is dead; maybe it's time that Dick Grayson followed suit."

"You mean fake his death?" Batman's voice sounded hollow. Defeated.

Barry was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Then maybe you can stop torturing yourself with the idea that he'll come back. Then you can really mourn him. And once you do that, then you can move on."

Silence hung heavily in the air. Neither hero moved. Barry had said what he had needed to. Now it was up to Batman to decide what he was going to do about it.

Finally, without another word, Batman let him go completely and made his way to the door. "Bruce-" Barry reached out to him but let his hand drop. He wasn't going to stop him this time. "Listen, if you need anything, I-"

"I don't."

"Are you going to-"

"I'll see you at the next League meeting." And with that, Batman left the room, letting the door slam shut behind him.

Barry sighed. "Well that went well."

* * *

... I think Canada runs on Tim's (according to the ridiculously long morning line-ups).


	5. The Broken Heart

Saturday! New episode on Saturday! Yay!

And a new chapter of this story today. Yay.

* * *

Blood flew into the air as a punch knocked a man back into a dumpster. Without giving him a second to recover, Batman kicked his knee and felt bones crunch. Another man came up behind him, but Batman spun around, kicking him in the stomach. With a quick movement, Batman shattered his collarbone. The thug cried out and crumbled, huddling in on himself. The last man in the gang let out a panicked cry and dropped his knife. Whimpering in fear, he turned and fled the scene. Batman growled and threw a batarang at him. The sharp projectile hit the man's shoulder and he fell forward into the ground. A moment later, Batman was standing over him and kicked him onto his back.

"Please, please don't hurt me," the man begged as Batman grabbed him by his collar and held him up. "I swear, I won't never steal nothing again. I swear it!" the man screamed.

"Too late," Batman growled before head-butting the man and dropping him. The man crumpled into the ground. Collecting the wallet the men had stolen, Batman came up to the young man they had robbed and silently handed it back.

The victim stared at him with wide eyes and, with a shaky hand, took the wallet. "Th-thanks…" Batman nodded and took out his grappling gun, aiming it at the rooftop. "Wait… I mean, uh, should I call the police or something?" the man asked hesitantly. His eyes darted towards the thugs. "Or an ambulance?" Batman narrowed his eyes and also looked back at the pathetic heap behind him. Then he nodded. "Oh, okay. Both then?" Batman nodded again before shooting off his line. The grapple anchored on the roof and he was pulled up and away from the scene, leaving the man to himself to call the authorities.

From the rooftop, Batman took a moment to look down just to make sure the man was making the call. Those men would definitely need an ambulance after the beating he had just dished out.

Not his problem, Batman told himself firmly before dashing across the rooftops. Those men got what they deserved.

A pang of guilt hit Batman out of nowhere. He brushed it off. But a moment later, his conscience flared up, bringing the guilt with it. Sure those men had been criminals, his conscience seemed to tell him, but they were just petty crooks. And while they had roughed up their victim a little, they hadn't seriously hurt him. They definitely did not deserve to have the living daylights beaten out of them.

Again, Batman ignored his conscience. And tried to not think about how much it sounded like Dick.

As that name flickered through his mind, Batman's heart constricted. He knew the pain wasn't real- it was all in his head- but he had to stop anyway to rub his chest. Suddenly feeling exhausted, Batman slumped against a brick wall and took off his cowl. Running his hand through his hair, Batman let out a long sigh.

Six years ago (had it really been that long?) when he had taken that broken little acrobat in, he never thought he could come to mean so much to him. But somewhere along the way, Robin had become a central part of his life, his identity, his morality. Robin had been a shining light that kept the darkness from consuming him.

After his parents had been murdered, Batman had channelled all of his energy towards fighting crime, towards upholding justice. Being the Dark Knight gave him purpose. But he was always just one step away from the edge. And then Robin had come in and had gently tugged him, inch by inch, then foot by foot, away from the pit. He had given him another purpose in life all while supporting him in The Work.

And then he left. Gone. Like that.

And there was no criminal to blame for it. No way to fix it. No way to avenge it.

The first few weeks had gone by in a haze, as if he hadn't really believed it had happened. Then reality came into sharp focus. Robin had left. Abandoned him.

The haze gave way to anger. Anger directed squarely at his protégé. Batman had hated him. Hated him for leaving. Hated him for meaning so much to him in the first place.

That had been his darkest time. It was probably when all the red flags had been raised, drawing the League's attention to his behavior.

But then, finally, Bruce found he just couldn't go on hating Dick. After all, he couldn't blame the boy for wanting to leave. What kind of life was this anyway? If Batman had been that age and had been given the chance to be with his parents- albeit, alternate versions- he would have jumped at it. No, he couldn't blame Dick. And, therefore, he couldn't hate him.

He could only hate himself. Maybe if he had been better- a better mentor, a better father- then Robin wouldn't have felt compelled to leave. Or maybe if he had gone with them, he could have stopped Robin from staying in the alternate dimension. Or maybe if he had told him how much he meant to him. Had he ever told Robin he loved him? Had Robin ever felt like his son? Maybe if, maybe if- so many maybe ifs. But it all boiled down to some sort of failure on his part.

So now, as the winds of self-loathing, confusion and heartbreak billowed about him, Batman found himself standing on the shoreline, looking into an ocean of darkness. The darkness lapped at his feet, clawing at him and climbing upwards, threatening to drag him in and drown him.

The only thing keeping him going was the thought that maybe, just maybe, Robin would come back to save him. To pull him back into the light.

A hopeless hope, yet Batman still clung to it, like a drowning man to a life preserver.

So despite what the League thought, Batman had no intention of 'killing' Dick Grayson.

Not now. Not ever.

Not yet.

That last thought kicked him in the teeth. Because, deep down, he knew that he couldn't keep up the charade forever. One day he would really have to admit that Dick was not coming back. And Miss Martian, although she had perfected the ability to morph into a boy, would not hold up under close scrutiny. While, like Dick, she had a sunny disposition, she lacked his mischievous streak, that glint in his eye when he was about to make some smart-alecky remark. She lacked his fondness for puns and absurd, made-up words.

A fresh ache swelled in his heart at those thoughts. God, he missed him. For so long he had convinced himself that he didn't need anyone. Then Dick had come and changed all that around. And then he had left and Batman had been spending the last few months trying to convince himself it could all go back to the way it was before.

But it never could. There would always be a Robin-sized hole in his heart.


	6. Team Decision

Hey folks. Sorry about the wait. I've been pulling 12 hour shifts at work and haven't had two seconds to rub together to create time to post.

Okay, that's a bit of a fib. I have had time. But I was about to post this chapter and I realized that it needed tweaking. Because I'm a tweaker. And I haven't had the time to tweak it and therefore, post it. So, yes, just a bit of a fib. Another fib. It wasn't so much of a tweak as a full-blown overhaul.

But now it is done and now it is being posted. And the next chapter is done, but I think I'll sit on it for a bit. Maybe until I get back from work today.

Anywho. How about that last episode? Last two episodes, actually. Roy is an angry, angry person, clone or original. Hee! AAAANNNNDDDDD! JASON TODD! HE EXISTS! YAY! YAY! YAY! Which makes me incredibly happy because I don't feel too bad about killing canon which I've blown out of the water with this series already, but whatever. AAANNNDD! Could Aqualad really be a bad guy? I'd believe it (although I'd hate to think that Nightwing was so easily deceived). You can't expect to play in the mud for so long and not end up covered in it yourself. Better be careful, Artemis.

Okay, end of babbling. On with the show.

* * *

"I'm telling you, they could totally come up with a completely legit food pyramid for the State Fair," Wally argued as soon as he and Artemis materialized in the Zeta Tube at the mountain.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Oh please."

"No, think about it. For starters you've got corn dogs at the top for meat, then ice-cream for dairy, candied apples for fruits, corn on the cob for veggies and funnel cake for grains."

"Technically corn isn't a vegetable," Artemis countered.

Wally threw his hands out in front of him and shook them. "That's it. That's all you got out of my freakin' brilliant idea. That corn is not a vegetable."

"Hey, I could also point out that hotdogs are not meat," Artemis said. Wally looked appalled. "Look, no matter how you spin this, I can't survive on just fair food," she continued. "I'm not a speedster. So unless you want me to gain five hundred pounds, I think that the next time we hang out, we should go somewhere with decent, nutritious foods."

Wally couldn't help but smirk. So she was planning on hanging out with him again. Sweet. They had just spent the whole day at the Kansas State Fair in Keystone City. And the week before they had spent time together at the Missouri State Fair in Central City. Wally had to admit, it had been fun. Artemis wasn't so bad to hang out with and, as much as he wanted to deny it, he was actually excited to spend more time with her.

"Well, don't worry, I know just the place," Wally assured her. "That's the great thing about having such a high metabolism- you always know where to get good food. Even healthy stuff," he added with a hint of disdain.

"Great. It's a date," Artemis said.

"Okay."

Then, at the same moment, they both realized exactly what she had said and they did a double take. "Uh, I mean, it's settled," Artemis hastily corrected. "It's a plan. To hang out. As friends. At some point in time. To eat. As friends. Oh look, there's Aqualad!"

Her rambling went by so fast that even Wally had a hard time keeping up. And before he could reply, she ran up to Aqualad, whose piercing gaze was focussed on the holoscreen in front of him.

Wally stayed rooted in place for a moment before catching up to Artemis, coming up behind Aqualad. The Atlantian didn't even acknowledge their presence, too absorbed in whatever he was doing.

"Hey Kaldur," Wally greeted after a moment of awkward silence.

Kaldur looked over his shoulder and nodded. Wally arched an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Artemis who shrugged. "Soooo," Artemis drawled, "what's all this?" she asked, gesturing to the holoscreen.

"I am still concerned about the events of the other night."

"The drug bust?" Wally asked. "Yeah, that's been bugging me too. But the League said they would take care of it."

Kaldur sighed. "I know but-"

"But it was our case first," Superboy said, joining the group, M'gann in tow. "I convinced Kaldur that we should take responsibility for it. How are we ever going to be taken seriously if the League swoops in and finishes everything for us?"

Wally thought about that for a moment. Stealing a case out from under the Justice League's nose? How very Robin-esque. After all, it was that same sort of mentality that prompted him, Kaldur and Robin to investigate Cadmus.

"All right," Wally finally said. "So what have you got so far?"

Kaldur furrowed his brow. "I am afraid I have very little," he admitted grimly. "I cannot hack into the Watchtower to gather information from their sensors-"

"Which I believe are still down for maintenance anyway," Wally reminded.

"But, I was able to pull up a file from the Batcave," Kaldur continued.

Wally's eyes widened. "What?! Dude! You hacked the Batcave!" That was… Wally wasn't even sure that was possible for anyone other than Robin.

Kaldur looked somewhat sheepish, an unusual look for their leader. "Robin anticipated I may need to gather information if he were ever absent-"

"Gotta love Bat paranoia," Wally interrupted.

"He gave me an access code in case of emergency," Aqualad continued. "As far as I know, Batman doesn't know about it-"

"If he did, it probably wouldn't exist anymore," Artemis said.

"Indeed," Aqualad acknowledged. "But its security clearance is minimal so I am unable to access anything very important, but I did find case notes for the mission we went on." He gestured to the screen and Wally quickly skimmed through the information.

"And?" Artemis prompted.

"It appears the reason Batman suspected a shipment of Kobra venom was because Intergang had a meeting with Sportsmaster a few weeks ago."

"A meeting that included Blockbuster from Cadmus," Superboy added darkly.

"And the leader of North Rhelasia," Kaldur said.

"Oh, that can't be good," Artemis concluded.

"All of that indicates that there might have been a shipment of Kobra venom, right?" Miss Martian asked.

"As Batman said, it was a possibility," Kaldur confirmed.

"Yeah, but it wasn't," Wally pointed out. "It was just cocaine. Still bad, still good we got it off the street, but definitely not Kobra venom."

"Maybe it was a distraction," Superboy said. "All the information Batman gathered pointed to some sort of exchange taking place at the docks. But maybe there was a second exchange somewhere else?"

"Maybe," Wally said. "But, look, none of this is really important. What's important is finding out what exactly that light was and why those men disappeared."

"I agree," Kaldur said. "But that begs the question of whether it was a planned event or if it was a random occurrence. If it was planned, then there is more to this drug shipment than meets the eye. It was important enough for whoever is behind this to stage a big even such as this in order to protect it."

"And what if it was a random occurrence?" Miss Martian asked.

"Nothing is ever completely random," Wally said.

"Yes, but it mean these are two entirely different situations," Kaldur said.

"And both could be dangerous," Superboy said. "I don't like the idea of North Rhelasia having access to Kobra venom. Nothing good can come out of that."

"And random bursts of light making things disappear is definitely not good," Artemis added.

"So what's the plan, Kaldur?" Wally asked.

Aqualad gazed intently at the information on the screen. "We do not have the resources to investigate the source of the light if it was indeed a random occurrence. We must leave that to the League. However, if it is all connected, then the best way to figure everything out is to go after the people involved. It is obvious that no good can come from a meeting between Intergang, Cadmus and an unstable country. We must find out what this is all about and put a stop to it. Hopefully, along the way, we will discover if they had anything to do with the occurrence at the dock and also put an end to that."

"So where do we start?" M'gann asked.

"Where it began. Metropolis."

* * *

That's not the only thing that began in Metropolis.


	7. An Alternate Path into the Light

Another chapter. Whee!

* * *

Batman perched on a gargoyle, looking out over his city. The night had just begun and already he had stopped two robberies, a mugging, and a few drug deals. It kept him busy, which meant he didn't have time to dwell on his thoughts for too long. Thoughts that always, eventually, led him to Robin.

Looking up at the moon, he briefly wondered when he had last spent a significant amount of time in the sun. It must have been a while. He rarely went out as Bruce Wayne anymore and when he did, it was only for a photo-op with the Martian girl. Well, no loss. He had always been a creature of the night.

A gust of wind on an otherwise still night caught his attention and Batman looked over his shoulder to see Superman landing behind him. Batman grimaced but otherwise did not acknowledge his visitor.

"Hey."

Batman grunted in reply.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Flash already did," Batman replied bitterly. He didn't have time for this.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Superman said softly. "Look, I don't agree with the League. I don't think faking Dick's death is really going to solve anything." Batman remained silent. "Because even if you do that, you'll still know that somewhere out there, that he really is alive."

"Why does it matter?" Batman asked. "Things are fine the way they are."

"You and I both know that's not true. You can't lie to yourself, Bruce. The truth is you need Robin. You need him to keep you balanced."

"Well what do you suggest?" Batman spat. "He's gone."

"So we bring him back," Superman said. "We can open a portal to that dimension, go in and get him back."

Batman went ramrod straight at that suggestion. Bring him back? Were his ears deceiving him? Superman, of all people, was suggesting they… kidnap Dick?

"No," Batman heard himself saying.

"No? Why not?" Superman said, echoing the little voice inside Batman's head that was asking the very same question. "We both know that's what you-"

"No," Batman repeated quietly, surprised at himself. What was he saying? After all, there was nothing he wanted more than to have Robin back.

But not, he realized in that moment, if it meant making Robin miserable. Like Barry had said, Robin was happy now. Happier than he could ever be here. And though Batman's heart ached at his loss, he wasn't about to destroy Dick's happiness for the sake of his own.

It was a surprising, yet very cathartic revelation. As long as Dick was happy, then his own situation didn't matter. His heartache didn't matter. Maybe it really was time to move on. Maybe it was time to realize that Dick really was better off where he was and that he wasn't going to come back. That he didn't _want_ him to come back to this life.

"I can't do that to him. I won't. He… deserves to be happy."

"Yeah, he does," Superman agreed. "But how happy would he be if he knew how close to the edge you were?"

"I'm not close to the 'edge'," Batman growled. Superman just gave him a pointed look of disbelief. "I'll be fine."

"I know you, Bruce. You're attracted to the darkness, like a moth is to light. You need someone to keep pulling you into the light."

"I don't need a babysitter," Batman grumbled, offended. "I know what I stand for. I know where the line is. I'm not going to cross it."

"Really? You're not? Is that why a petty thief is going to have to undergo six month of rehabilitation for stealing a purse with five bucks and a tube of lipstick in it?"

Batman looked away and kept silent.

"Bruce, this path that you're on, it's headed somewhere you don't want to be."

"I know where it leads," Batman growled. He steeled his resolve as the next words tumbled out of his mouth. "But I'd willingly walk straight into hell if it meant that Dick was happy and safe." He meant it. He knew damn well where he was headed. But it didn't matter now. Nothing mattered now.

"But-"

"Get out of my city," Batman ordered harshly, effectively ending the argument. There was no way he was going to let Superman try to get him to question himself on this. Dick was gone. And he was going to stay gone. "I have work to do."

Superman hesitated but Batman sent a withering glare in his direction. Finally, Superman drew back in defeat and jumped into the air. He hovered for a moment before disappearing in a streak of red and blue. Batman waited until he was gone before letting out a long breath.

His patrol of the city did not last too long after that. He was bone-weary and tired. Usually that didn't stop him, but tonight, he couldn't seem to bring himself to continue. He needed to get back to the cave and-

Batman stopped dead in his tracks. There, ahead of him, was the Batmobile, right where he had left it. But without the tires.

Unbelievable.

Someone had actually stolen the tires off the Batmobile! But that was impossible. There was no way anyone could disable the security measures. And even if they did-

The sound of metal dropping to the ground caught his attention as a boy appeared on the other side of the black vehicle. He looked at Batman for a moment, eyes wide, before taking off.

He didn't stand a chance.

Batman was in front of him in seconds. The kid ran into him and fell backwards onto the ground.

Batman studied him for a moment. He was in his early teens, maybe a little older than Dick, with dirty red hair and cloudy grey eyes. His clothes were dirty and it looked like he hadn't had a good meal in ages. The kid had to be scared, but wasn't showing it as he glared at Batman.

Batman looked from the car to him and then gestured to the tires on the ground. "Did you do this?"

"Duh."

Batman arched an eyebrow. Grown men wept when he used that tone. Who was this kid?

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"How did you get past the security measures?"

"You call those security measures?" the kid scoffed.

Batman narrowed his eyes, becoming increasingly annoyed at the non-answers he was getting. This kid was treading a dangerous road. If he thought he could-

Wait a second.

A crazy thought was forming in his head. Superman was right- he needed someone to stop him from going down that dark, dangerous road he was on. The same road this kid was on.

But maybe the way off the road was not to have someone pull him off. Maybe it was to save someone else from it. If he could bring this kid into the proverbial light, maybe he would inadvertently find himself there as well.

"What's your name, kid?" Batman asked, decision suddenly made without really being able to stop himself. He should've. He should've taken a mental step back to really think about where this would go. But the idea was already cemented in his mind.

"What's yours?" the kid shot back contemptuously.

"Your. Name," Batman said in a low voice. "Now."

The kid hesitated. Apparently even his brashness was no match for Batman's deadliest tone and glare combined. "Jason," he finally replied. "Jason Todd."

There was a moment of silence while Batman studied the kid one last time. It could work. It would work. This kid needed him. But not as much as Batman needed a Robin. "Well, Jason Todd- how would you like a job?"

* * *

I should perhaps mention that the inspiration for this story came from a couple of different places. The first being the Alfred Hitchcock movie _Vertigo _starring James Stewart and Kim Novak. The second being the following conversation between Alfred and Nightwing after Alfred states that he is worried about Dick's fleeting cheery outlook on life and how without it, this line of work could prove unsurvivable for him and Batman:

Nightwing: Alfred, what are you **talking** about? Bruce hasn't had any innate inner optimism this whole time, and he'll outlast every one of us!

Alfred: But of course he has had optimism! He has had **you**.

-Nightwing #99

As well as this conversation between Tim!Robin and Nightwing:

Robin: Remember how I once told you that Batman needed a Robin? Well, that's still true, but even more than that, he... he needs you. You know, not like every second or whatever, but at the end of the day, he needs to know you're still on his side. It's... important.

-Nightwing #110

Also, I watched Batman: Under the Red Hood. So the idea was always to put him in but now... well... Jason's canon in the YJ universe... Sniffle. Oh the joy. These are tears of happiness people.

Finally... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


	8. Set Up

Sorry for the delay. But here's another chapter.

* * *

Metropolis, they all knew, was a big city. And, as they also knew, the likelihood of stumbling upon a clandestine meeting between the international criminal syndicate and its allies, if another such meeting were to even take place, was extremely low. Still, the city was a starting point and they were all eager to do what they could to solve their latest mystery.

From his seat in the bioship, Wally poured over the information on the holoscreen in front of him. All around him, his teammates were looking over the information on their own screens. "According to this, production of Kobra venom supposedly went up slightly at Santa Prisca."

"And these shipping manifests show there was a ship which passed through Santa Prisca waters, arrived late in Metropolis and unloaded an extra container," Artemis added. "Looks like someone was sneaking in Kobra venom."

"Which was why Batman sent us to investigate to begin with," Wally said, somewhat impatiently. "We already know there is Kobra venom floating around somewhere in Metropolis. The question is why it wasn't at the bust and where is it now."

"And how to stop it," Superboy added, equally as impatient.

"I am not sure those are the questions we should be asking just yet," Kaldur said thoughtfully.

"What questions should we be asking?" M'gann asked.

Kaldur was silent for a moment, his intense gaze on the screen as if he were waiting for the answer to pop out at him. "I am more interested in how this information was obtained," he finally said.

Wally quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"If I were trying to smuggle Kobra venom- a substance the Justice League has taken a special interest in- I would not be so sloppy as to let its entrance into Metropolis be so evident," Kaldur explained.

"You're right," Artemis said slowly. "They might as well have put a neon sign on that extra container. Something about how easy this is looks fishy. No offense."

"None taken. And according to the file, Batman himself was not present at the meeting that took place between Intergang, Cadmus and Rhelasia."

"So where did he get that information?" Wally interrupted. "And the photos?" he added, indicating the pictures of the meeting.

"LL," Superboy said after a moment. "LL is listed as the source. Who's LL?" He sat a little straighter. "Lex Luthor?" he said in horror.

"No. I cannot believe Batman would so freely receive information from him," Aqualad said.

"How about Lois Lane," Wally suggested. "She's a reporter with the Daily Planet with ties to Superman."

"I'd buy that," Artemis said with a nod. "She may have passed the information on to Superman who passed it on to the League and Batman."

"So how did _she_ find out about the meeting?" M'gann asked.

"We will have to ask her. Superboy, Kid Flash, you will go to the Daily Planet and question Ms. Lane. Miss Martian, Artemis, I want you to cover the leader of North Rhelasia."

"Why him?" M'gann asked.

"He is the only member of that meeting we can easily locate," Kaldur explained. "And if there is to be another meeting, he may know about it."

"And how exactly are we supposed to get that information from him?" Artemis asked, arching a skeptical eyebrow. "It's not like we can kidnap him and interrogate him."

"I can read his mind!" M'gann suggested brightly.

"Can you do it without him realizing?" Kaldur asked.

M'gann squirmed slightly in her seat, her cheeks turning pink. "Well, I mean, he'll feel like something's off or strange, but I don't think he'll realize it's because I'm in his mind."

Kaldur shook his head. "We cannot risk it."

"So what do you suggest?" Artemis asked.

"There may be information somewhere in the consulate," Kaldur replied.

Wally gave Kaldur a wide-eyed look, unable to fight the sudden surge of worry that shot through him. Did Aqualad realize what he was asking them to do? "Whoa, wait a second here. You want them to break into the North Rhelasian consulate? Dude! If they're caught there, they will technically be on North Rhelasian soil and subject to their laws. And punishments!"

"We won't get caught," Artemis said matter-of-factly. Wally was about to protest but Artemis held her hand up and pegged him with a determined gaze. "Look, M'gann can camouflage herself. And I may not be Robin-stealthy, but I can sneak in and out of a building easy enough. We'll be fine."

"This isn't just any building!" Wally pointed out.

"Miss Martian and Artemis have the best chance of infiltrating the consulate. I am confident they will not be caught," Aqualad said confidently.

Artemis sent Wally a look, as if daring him to argue, which he couldn't do without belittling her skills. He had to trust her. Wally grimaced and with a huff of indignation, crossed his arms over his chest. "Just be careful. Please," he added gently.

"We will," M'gann assured him. "What will you be doing, Kaldur?"

"I will go to the docks and try to gather information there," Kaldur said. "We will meet back at the bioship in two hours."

* * *

"All right, so what's the plan?" Superboy asked as they approached the Daily Planet building. He paused on the sidewalk and looked up at the big, rotating globe on the top of the buildings. Spotlights cast a glow over it, making it stand out in the night sky, like a beacon. Something about it filled him with a kind of excitement he didn't quite understand.

Beside him, Wally shrugged. "I'm Kid Flash. I go in there and say I need to talk to her. Who's gonna say no to me?"

"Shouldn't we go in as civilians?" Superboy asked.

Wally quickly shook his head. "And ask her about Justice League intelligence? I don't think that would go over well."

He had a point. "Have you ever met her?" Superboy asked.

"Not as Kid Flash. But I have met her as Wally West. My Aunt Iris- she's a reporter too- invited her over to dinner once with her partner when they were in Central. He and Uncle Barry got along pretty well." Wally shrugged. "Anyway, I doubt she'll connect my two identities. And, like I said, I'm Kid Flash. Who doesn't want to talk to me?"

Superboy rolled his eyes. Wally sure was full of himself. Most of the time, Conner found it annoying, especially when it prompted him to hit on M'gann. But sometimes, he almost envied Wally his confidence. Superboy was one of the most powerful people in the world and yet he sometimes felt so inadequate, so insecure. Maybe it was because he knew he was made to be like Superman, but in reality, he fell painfully short of the mark.

Maybe if Superman paid attention to him, it would help his confidence a bit. Maybe if-

"Hello. Earth to Superboy. You coming or what?"

Superboy shifted his weight awkwardly. "Just a second. She may recognize you as Kid Flash, but what about me? I mean, who am I supposed to be?" As far as he knew, the only people who really knew about him and his story were the Justice Leaguers. 'Superboy' hadn't gone public.

Wally made a flippant gesture. "Are you kidding? She's practically Superman's biographer. He probably told her about you a long time ago."

Superboy didn't seem too sure, seeing as how Superman himself barely acknowledged his existence. But before he could protest, Wally was making his way through the doors. Superboy jogged to catch up and when he did, he found Wally talking with a somewhat awestruck young man.

"You know where I can find Lois Lane?"

"Uh… well she left for the day. You know, even hard-nosed reporters have to go home sometime," the man laughed nervously. "Say, you're Kid Flash, right? From the Gemstone Cities?"

Wally puffed out his chest, looking mighty pleased with himself for being recognized. Or maybe he was just happy that someone got his name right. Conner could never understand what was so hard about remembering his name was 'Kid Flash'. Seemed pretty straight forward to him.

"That's me. And it's important I talk with Ms. Lane. You know where I can find her?"

"Probably at home. Maybe. Anyway, the address is 348 Hyperion Ave," the man replied before holding up a camera. "Hey, can I get a quick shot?"

"Of course!" Wally rested his hands on his hips and gave a brilliantly cheesy smile that made Conner roll his eyes. The photographer seemed to love it though and took a series of quick shots.

"Hey, thanks!"

"No problem!" Wally replied. "But now, I've got to run. Get it?"

Conner groaned even as the photographer laughed. Before Wally could waste any more time basking in the limelight, Conner marched up and grabbed Wally's arm, pulling him outside. "Stop wasting time," Conner said stiffly. "You know where we're going?" Wally nodded. "Good. Then let's go."

Pretty quick they found themselves standing outside a modest little brownstone townhouse in a respectable, though not particularly upscale end of town. Superboy hesitated at the bottom step. "Are you sure about this? I mean, it's one thing to question her at work, but this is her home. Isn't that a little invasive?"

Wally shrugged. "She's a reporter. She makes a living out of being invasive. And, as I always like to say, turn-about is fair play."

Superboy arched an eyebrow. "You always say that?"

"It's somewhere in my book of sayings," Wally replied nonchalantly before zipping up the steps and ringing the doorbell. A moment later the door opened. At the sight of the woman in the doorway, Superboy froze, mesmerized at how beautiful she was as his heart seemed to stop before slamming painfully against his ribs. He tried to shake the sensation off, confused at his reaction.

"Hi! You're Lois Lane, right?" Kid Flash said quickly. "I'm Kid Flash. You know, the superhero. We need to ask you a few questions? Mind if we come in? Thanks?" And then, without waiting for a reply, he zipped past her and into the house.

Lois spluttered for a moment, looking from the house, then to the spot Wally had just vacated and then back to the house again. "I- wha- HEY! Wait a minute!" she cried as she marched after Wally, slamming the door shut behind her.

Superboy waited for a moment, not quite sure what he was supposed to do. Was he allowed to just open the door and join them? That seemed a little rude. Although, he supposed that Wally had just blown social protocol out of the water anyway. Still, he felt a little weird as he climbed the steps and tentatively opened the door. Inside, he could see Lois chewing Wally out for barging in.

"Just who do you think you are?" Lois cried, throwing her hands into the air.

Wally gave her a big smile. "I'm Kid Flash. You know, partner to The Flash. From Central City."

"Well look, Speedy, I don't know how they do things in Central, but here in Metropolis, it's rude to zip into someone's living room uninvited."

"Actually, Speedy is Green Arrow's sidekick," Superboy said as he stepped closer. "Though, I'm not really sure how that makes sense. Either way, he goes by Red Arrow now."

Lois seemed to go stiff before whirling around to face Superboy. She seemed stunned for a moment, taking a small step backwards before fixing him with a curious gaze. But there was something more to her look than mere curiosity. It had an intensity that made Superboy feel like he was a bug under a scientist's microscope.

"Oh, hey Supey. Ms. Lane, have you met Superboy yet?"

"Superboy?" Lois repeated before increasing the intensity of her look. Superboy squirmed. Obviously Superman hadn't told her about him. But then again, why would he? After all, that would involve actually acknowledging his existence.

"Yeah, you know, Superman's clone? Didn't he…" Wally's sentence died in an awkward silence when it became apparent that Lois didn't know anything about him. "Well, I thought maybe at least you would have found out on your own, seeing as how obse- how much reporting you've done on Superman."

Lois shook her head as if to clear it before throwing her hands down in front of her. "Wait a second. Hold the phone. Stop the presses." She looked at Superboy again and pointed at him. "You're Superman's clone?" Superboy nodded and watched in fascination as a myriad of emotions played across her pretty face before finally settling on something resembling hurt. No, not hurt, something deeper. It looked like she felt heartbroken. Or betrayed.

"And how long since you…" Lois said, waving her hand a little as she gestured to him.

"About a year," Superboy replied.

Lois looked crestfallen for a moment. But then she set her jaw and balled a fist, looking like she wanted nothing more than to punch Superman. "No, Superman didn't tell me about you," she ground out. "But that's all right- I'm just a reporter- it's not like he has an obligation to tell me things like that."

There was something more to this, Superboy could tell. Obviously there was more to Superman's relationship with this woman than that of superhero and reporter. And, judging from her reaction, more than just mere friendship too. Either way, Superboy didn't want to be there when Lois let loose on the Man of Steel for keeping this from her.

"Uh, look," Superboy said, wanting to diffuse the awkwardness of the situation and bring it back to their mission, "we didn't come here to… well I mean, we thought you knew about me otherwise I would've stayed outside or something. But that's not the point. We're here because we need your help."

"All right, okay, calm down Lois. Save it for later," she mumbled under her breath. Lois took a deep breath and slowly relaxed. "Okay boys, what's up?" she asked. There was a bit of an edge to her voice, as if she were forcing herself to remain calm.

"A couple of weeks ago, there was a meeting between Intergang, Cadmus, The League of Shadows and General Singh Manh Li of North Rhelasia. We think you gathered some information about it which was then passed on to the Justice League."

Lois nodded. "Right. I snuck into the meeting and took pictures and notes. I passed it on to Superman."

"How exactly did you find out about the meeting?" Superboy asked.

Lois drew her lips into a thin line. "Sorry. A reporter never reveals her sources."

"I totally get that," Wally said quickly. "But, look, the information led us to a drug's bust which wasn't exactly what we thought it was and then… well, crazy things happened."

Something flashed in Lois' eye as she turned to Wally. "Crazy things? Care to explain?"

Wally quickly shook his head. "It's complicated." Lois arched an eyebrow, as if she had no intention of letting Wally off the hook that easily, but Wally quickly pressed on. "But if you're not going to give us your source, maybe you can just tell us about the meeting itself."

Lois shrugged. "I gave Superman all the information I had but…" she trailed off for a moment. "But now that I think about it, it was a little weird. I mean, it was… too easy."

"What do you mean?" Superboy asked.

"I mean, I've been tracking Intergang for a long time and it's never that easy to sneak in and listen in to their plans. And when you throw in a dictator from an unstable country and Shadows, it should have been impossible for even me to get that close. But this time-"

"It was like they wanted you to get in?" Superboy suggested.

Lois nodded. "And they were pretty open about their plans to sneak in this Kobra venom stuff and how important it was to not let the Justice League ruin it." She suddenly clenched a fist and shook her head in frustration. "Stupid. I should have seen through it before but I guess I was just so damn proud of myself for getting in and out that I didn't think to look that gift horse in the mouth. Even the information that led me to the meeting was too good to be true."

"How so?" Wally pressed.

Lois let out a long sigh. "My source. I had Bobby Bigmouth looking into a robbery at Star Labs- I figured Intergang was behind it. Anyway, he comes back to me with news of this meeting- exact time and place. I didn't question it because Bobby's my most reliable snitch. But then a few days later, someone from inside the North Rhelasian consulate met with me to let me know about the same meeting. And… he was too calm. If I were handing over information like that to a reporter, I would be a lot more nervous."

"All in all, this whole things reeks of a set-up," Superboy surmised, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And I fell for it," Lois growled.

"Yeah, but why did they set you up? What was the point in letting you get that information?" Wally asked. "It's like they wanted to Justice League to show up."

"I don't know. But whatever it is it can't be good," Lois answered.

"Especially not with these players," Wally nodded. "Anything else you can think to tell us?"

Lois shook her head. "Not at the moment. But I will say that I'm going to dig deeper into this."

"Great. If you come up with anything, let us know," Wally said. "Do you know how to contact us?"

"I'll send you the information by pigeon," Lois replied. Superboy tilted his head in confusion. A pigeon? What did she mean- "A big, blue pigeon with an S on his chest."

"We'd appreciate it, Ms. Lane," Wally said with a little smirk. "Thanks for all your help, but we've gotta get going. Come on, Supes." And, with that, Wally disappeared in a streak of red and yellow.

Superboy turned to follow but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Looking over his shoulder, he met Lois' intense violet eyes.

"You're his… his son?" Lois asked quietly.

Superboy quickly shook his head. "No. I'm his clone- a weapon. He doesn't even… I mean, I guess I don't blame him but… I-" He finally just cut himself off, shaking his head slightly. She didn't need to hear this, even though it seemed like she wanted to. And why did she care anyway? A sudden burst of anger flared up in his chest. Grabbing her hand, he practically threw if off his shoulder. "Look, I don't need you to feel sorry for me. I don't know what your deal with Superman is, but he's made it very clear he wants nothing to do with me and I don't need you trying to… guilt-trip him into changing his mind. I'm fine on my own."

Lois took a small step back, looking stunned at his outburst. But then a determined look crossed her face. "No. You need him. And even though he might not see it yet, you're his family and he needs you."

"He doesn't need me," Superboy growled. "He doesn't want me. And I don't need or want him. End of story."

"But-"

"Thanks for your help, Ms. Lane," Superboy said curtly before running out and away from her.

* * *

I admit this chapter seems to have veered off course what with this Lois and Superboy interaction, but it's all going towards the next story so hopefully I can pull it all together in a nice, neat package with a little bow on top. Maybe.

Anywho, up next, Miss Martian and Artemis infiltrate the Rhelasian consulate. But will they end up being outfiltrated as well?


	9. Rhelasian Soil

OH. MY. GOSH!

Spoilers for YJ #25...

DICK AND BABS! MY LIFE! MY WHOLE LIFE! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! It's Canon! Canon! YAY! YAY to infinity and beyond!

Okay, okay, deep breath... SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I'm good now. No I'm not! AH!

AAAANNNNNNDDDDDD! Complications! Holy cow! Nightwing is going to kick Blue Beetle's trash all up and down the street. There will be beetle guts everywhere. Because no one backstabs Nightwing and kidnaps his team (especially the love of his canon life, Babs) and gets away with it! This is gunna be guuuuud!

All right. So, let me tell you a story before we get into this next chapter. So, once upon a time, when I was a kid, long before many of you were alive, there was this epic computer game called Quest For Glory. And it was AWESOME and my sisters and I played it ALL the time. Well, recently, I purchased the entire anthology and I have given into my nostalgia and inner geek and have been playing it all the time. Which is why it has taken so long to get this chapter up. Because I have been busy freeing Speilberg, Shapier, Tarna, Mordavia and Silmaria from the clutches of evil.

Yes. I am a nerd. On with the show.

* * *

Life was a funny thing. It had a way of twisting and turning. Sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. And no one was more surprised than Artemis to find that her life had turned for the better. After all, who would have thought a year ago that she would be flying in an alien ship with a girl from Mars? Not her, that was for sure. A year ago, she was just hoping that she wouldn't be forced to follow in her family's footsteps and become a criminal.

And now she was one of the good guys. She was part of a covert team operating under the direction of The Justice League. The Justice League! The epitome of heroes. Okay, granted, this mission was exactly sanctioned by the League and they were about to violate North Rhelasian sovereignty by committing acts of espionage, but it was all for the good fight. This was by far better than what she would be doing if she were under her father's criminal thumb.

Artemis glanced over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of M'gann, who was piloting the ship towards the consulate. Things between them had been a little rocky at the beginning- mostly due to Artemis' less than subtle advances towards Superboy- but they seemed to have moved past that and were, well, friends. The same went for the rest of the team. They all accepted her and trusted her. It was a strange feeling, having such good people consider her a friend. Stranger still that she considered them her friends too.

Yes, but she didn't trust them, did she? Because if she did, she would tell them exactly who and what she was. But there was no way she was going to tell them about her connections with Cheshire and Sportsmaster. She had often tried to convince herself that it wouldn't matter- they were too good to turn their backs on her because of her family- but there was a tether of doubt that always seemed to hold her back, kept her from coming out and telling them. Because what if? What if they looked at her differently? What if they became suspicious of every move she made, waiting for her to give into the dark side?

Or what if they felt betrayed just because she had kept it a secret for so long? They were bound to find out sooner or later, right? Wasn't it better to just confess now?

No, no, no. Artemis shook the thoughts out of her head. She couldn't tell them. She could just imagine how Wally would react. He'd probably-

"Artemis? Are you all right?"

Artemis sat straighter in her seat and glanced back at M'gann. Had she been reading her mind?

"Yeah, sure, sure. What makes you think I'm not?"

M'gann just shrugged. "I don't know. You seem a little distracted."

Ah, yes. Of course M'gann hadn't been prying. And if Artemis really trusted her, she wouldn't have thought otherwise.

"Just thinking. To myself," Artemis added.

"All right," M'gann said with a friendly smile. "We're almost here."

It turned out the North Rhelasian consulate wasn't the easiest place to sneak in to. The building, which had a grand, castle-like design, wasn't even the biggest problem. The biggest problem was the fact that it was perched atop a hill, surrounded by green fields which were in turn surrounded by ornate iron wrought fences. Oh, and the dogs. The dogs patrolling the perimeter with armed guards were a problem too. The place was built like a fortress. Obviously the North Rhelasian diplomats liked their privacy.

It was, Artemis supposed, a good thing that she and M'gann had an invisible alien ship to get past all of that. They flew undetected until they were hovering over the building. Both Artemis and M'gann peered out, analyzing the layout and, more importantly, the guards on patrol.

The guards, though fearsome looking, did not seem too alert. Too many weeks without action had dulled their senses. Artemis supposed it would be hard to keep on alert all day, every day, especially in a place as safe as this. They didn't expect an attack and therefore, were not looking for one. It made it a whole lot easier to break in.

"Swing around the building. Let's see if we can get a look through some of those windows," Artemis said. M'gann obliged, circling the bioship slowly around the building. The top story offered a few balconies and large barred windows. "There, stop. That look like an office to you?" Artemis asked as she peered through the darkness, pointing to one of the windows.

"I… think so," M'gann said after a moment. "It's hard to tell. Give me a sec." Morphing into camouflage mode, M'gann created a small opening in the bioship and floated out, landing on the balcony connected to the room. _I think I can see a desk with a computer. The lights are out though so I can't be too sure._

_Well let's check it out._ Artemis tapped her chest, activating the stealth mode on her uniform before slipping out of the bioship, landing on the balcony railing. Beside her, M'gann suddenly rematerialized, dressed in all black.

Ornate French doors protected the unoccupied room beyond from the outside world. Crouching down beside them, Artemis carefully checked to make sure there were no traps or security measures. The last thing they needed was to set off a million blaring alarms when they got the door open. Nothing. Artemis was a little surprised but, then again, they were a few stories up and the door seemed to be barred from in the inside. The chances of someone breaking in this way were low.

_Can you unbar the door?_

_Easy_, M'gann replied. Her eyes took on a green glow and she stretched her hand out towards the door. It rattled and then there was a scraping sound as the bar inside unlocked. A moment later the doors swung open. M'gann's telekinesis never failed to impress Artemis. It was certainly a handy skill to have.

_All right, let's go,_ Artemis mentally whispered. It was a ridiculous habit she had- after all, there was no need to be quiet over a mental link. Still, it didn't hurt to be careful.

Together, Artemis and M'gann snuck into the room and quietly closed the doors behind them. _I've got the computer. See if you can find anything in those cabinets._

_On it. _Using her powers, M'gann opened the filing cabinets as Artemis switched on the computer. _Hey, everything here is in Rhelasian!_

_No kidding, _Artemis thought, rolling her eyes.

_Oh, right. Hello Megan. _M'gann smacked her head. _So what do I do?_

_Here. _Artemis tossed her a camera. _Get photos. We'll translate it all back at the cave._

_All of it? But… we don't need all of this. Just the information about the kobra venom._

_So we find out about all the other shady things the North Rhelasians are up to. So what?_

M'gann mentally tutted in disapproval but didn't say anything else. Instead, she spread out a few papers and began photographing them.

Artemis left her to her task and focussed on her own. Hooking up the device Kaldur had given her earlier, she let it crack the security codes on the computer and download all the information.

_Well, this hasn't been too hard,_ Artemis thought.

And she spoke to soon. As soon as the thought hit the mental link there was noise coming from the hallway. Artemis cursed under her breath and shut the computer screen off. _I need to hide!_

Suddenly someone grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. Artemis nearly screamed not knowing where and who had grabbed her, but someone's hand over her mouth stopped her. _It's okay!_ M'gann's voice said. _I've got you. My camouflage is shielding you. Just don't move._

A moment later, the door opened, the lights flicked on and someone stormed in but Artemis' vision was blocked by M'gann's body. _What's going on? Who is that?_

_General Li._

Artemis' heart bucked in her chest. The big cheese himself. And the only thing keeping him from seeing her was the fact that M'gann had her covered. If either of them moved, even just a little, any part of Artemis could be exposed. Heck, all the General had to do was look hard enough and he would be able to see M'gann's outline since her camouflage wasn't actual invisibility. And on top of that, Artemis' device was still hooked to the computer, still downloading information. If he saw that he'd know someone was there. And if guards came in it wouldn't take them long to find them. All in all they were in a bad spot.

_I don't suppose you know how to get through walls, do you?_

_Not yet. Batman says that's next._

M'gann didn't sound too happy about that but Artemis didn't push it. Now wasn't the time for a counselling session.

The door slammed and Artemis could hear the general pacing about the room. Then there was a loud noise as if he had slammed his hand against his desk. Artemis flinched as the man cursed violently in his language.

"No! Of course I am not happy!" the general yelled. "How could I be happy?" There was a pause before he spoke again, leading Artemis to believe he was on the phone. "All I saw was failure!"

_Is he talking about the drugs? _Artemis asked.

_I could read his mind and-_

_No. Don't risk it. _Even as she thought it, she realized how ridiculous a thing it was to say. Don't risk it. As if somehow this situation was less dangerous than a bit of mind-reading. Wally had been right to be worried about this plan. They were on North Rhelasian soil and if they were caught the consequences wouldn't be pretty. But Aqualad was right too. They needed information but if M'gann had been caught in someone's mind, they could lock her out and they wouldn't get anything. And now, if she tried to read the general's mind for answers and he noticed, they were definitely done for.

"You promised an effective weapon. I do not see how it was effective at all!"

_Weapon? Was that light a weapon? _M'gann wondered.

_He could be talking about something else._

"The Justice League did not even show up. We let the woman know of our plan specifically so they would!" Another pause. "I suppose it was just as well they did not as it was a failure!" The general's tone became more rabid the more he spoke. "If you cannot provide me with the weapon I will be forced to seek an alternate path!" The general growled and cursed again. "How long? Very well. I will be waiting." A moment later, the general let out a frustrated sigh before opening the door. Artemis felt her legs nearly give out with relief. Relief which turned out to be short lived as it became apparent that the general was merely beckoning someone else to join him. The new comer and the general began a heated conversation in Rhelasian.

_We've got to do something. They're going to notice us sooner or later! _Aretmis tried to keep the panic out of her thoughts.

Suddenly the conversation between the two men stopped right along with Artemis' heart. Then the general growled and the other let out a little yelp. A moment later, the bar on the door was slid back. The general again said something- Artemis assumed he was chiding the other for the unlocked door. Then, finally, thankfully, the door to the hall opened, the lights went out and the two men left.

Artemis didn't dare make any sign of relief, half expecting them to come back. Finally, M'gann moved away from her. _I think they're gone._

_Let's get the hell out of here. _Though her words relayed panic, her thoughts came through in a surprisingly calm voice.

_Did you copy all the files from the computer?_

_Got it, _Artemis confirmed as she tucked the device away and turned off the computer.

_Good. The bioship is hovering right by the balcony. Let's go. _Again, M'gann used her mind to unbar the door. Once they were out, she locked it back up. Flying past her, M'gann dropped into the bioship. Hot on her heels, Artemis leapt off the balcony, landing in the bioship.

"Go," Artemis said aloud. M'gann dropped into the pilot seat and soon the consulate was disappearing behind them. Artemis sat down and let out a long sigh. "I think my legs just turned to jelly," she admitted.

"Mine too," M'gann replied. "But hopefully we got the information we needed. And we didn't get caught!"

"We ought to be dubbed the A-team," Artemis said with a shaky laugh. "But if anyone asks, it was a piece of cake. The last thing I need is for Wally to act all worried about something that isn't that big of a deal."

Behind her, M'gann cocked her head to the side. "Oh? Wally will be worried, huh?" she asked in a teasing voice.

Artemis sank into her seat, cheeks burning. "Shut up."

* * *

Dick! Babs! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

My life. My whole life.


End file.
